Esquimaux Husky, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

Editor: This is "Esquimaux Husky," a print from 1890 by Goodwin & Company, part of the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes. It's a colored-pencil drawing, quite charming actually, with almost a folk-art quality. What’s your take on this work? Curator: What strikes me immediately is the context – cigarette cards. This was a marketing tool, but also a reflection of a burgeoning interest in classifying and understanding the world, a colonial impulse in many ways. Editor: Colonial impulse? Could you elaborate? Curator: Think about it. These dogs, "Esquimaux" – a term laden with a problematic history regarding the Inuit people – are being presented as objects to be collected and categorized. This reflects a broader project of Western culture seeking to understand and ultimately control other cultures and the natural world. Does this card exoticize the dog, perhaps? Editor: I see what you mean. It does feel like a snapshot, taken out of its natural context and put into a collection. Does the folk-art style reinforce that separation? Curator: Absolutely. The somewhat simplified style and medium choice -- coloured pencil -- arguably create a sense of distance, idealizing a specific type, a specimen almost. Also, consider Ukiyo-e. Do you see elements of it? How is it working in the context of turn-of-the-century America? Editor: Now that you mention it, there's a flatness, a lack of deep perspective, reminiscent of some ukiyo-e prints. But it’s used here to highlight… what, exactly? The "purity" of the breed? Curator: Perhaps the perceived purity and utility. It prompts a deeper conversation about the ethics of representation and the power dynamics embedded in even the most seemingly benign images. It encourages reflection on cultural perspectives, reminding us that representations, like this of a dog breed, are rarely neutral. Editor: It's fascinating to consider the layers of meaning behind something that looks so simple at first glance. It has given me much to think about. Curator: Indeed! These images open to crucial discourse of not just what is visible but rather what it all means within its complex social-cultural context.